Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff answers:

The good is the fresh vegetables taste a lot better than what comes from the store.
Fresh eggs are much better.
So are fruits.
The bad. You have to work to plant, water and take care of the plants. And fight bugs, birds and animals.
Chickens and their feed draw snakes and rats. You would need cats to eat the rats and kill small snakes. They need to be locked up in a chicken house at night to protect them from animals and chicken snakes. The straw has to be changed and there is poop.
Fruit trees need to be taken care of and they need a lot of room. You have to fight bugs and birds there too.

GardenersCardiff answers:

I would like to believe that home grown foods would have three major advantages:
Save more when you grow your own food
Eat healthier as you wont be using excessive fertilizer that affects the human body
Get fresher garden vegetables and fruits.

Now of course there are other advantages but these I picked up off the Better Homes And Garden.Info Blog. They also have an extensive list of the vegetables that you should grow.
Http://betterhomesandgarden.info/2007/11/15/grow-your-own-food/
As to how healthy it is it would just depend on the seeds, fertilizer and how you care your garden. Soil and plant care have a lot to do with nutrient retention. What was astounding to me was that vegetable soup works wonders on plants. I really don’t mean vegetable soup that we eat but actually the water thats left when we boil or steam vegetables. Any way visit the blog and you should find its much better to grow your own food.

GardenersCardiff answers:

You would need to grow foods suited for your area. Many people presume all food crops are a snap when they are not. [Tomatoes, for example, are very heavy feeders that deplete soils, but also have ridiculous temperature demands (they will not pollinate above 90*F, for example) and are VERY disease prone and attractive to pests.]

I recommend researching local garderner blogs and farms for what is easily grown in your area, then determine what you like from that and plan accordingly. Some plants actually need cold weather to produce (garlic, most berries, all apples/pears, many brassicas, etc.). Others will not grow at all until the temps are above 70*F (melons/squashes, nightshades, etc.)

Composting: Very easy. Humanure composting is not legal in most places, but it can be done safely if you are 100% methodical about it and don’t mind carting and mixing human waste. Otherwise, yes, you can start composting now for future use. This guide is helpful:

Why Make Compost?

Fertilizer: NOT the same thing as compost. You will need to get your soil tested to check for what’s lacking. Compost only adds organic bulk, beneficial microbes, and trace nutrients to plants. It will not supply the phosphorous needed for nightshades (peppers, potates, etc.) on its own. Green manure is a cheap (but lengthy) way to get high, bioavailable nitrogen in your soil.
Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_manure

Water: Consider a rain water collection system. They are afforable and many cities offer serious rebates. A grey water system is possible, too, if you have high water needs, but these are pricier.
Http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/collection-and-storage/
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=45756